The Mystery Makes Scents
by Ta-Ni Kitsune
Summary: Not your average Mystery Dungeon adventure. A young girl awakens as an Eevee, and discovers her unique skill really helps out the rescue teams. Can she figure out how she got this power, and why she's here in the first place?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. This has always been a bit of a pet project for me: to narrate all the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, with my own spin on things, and now I'm finally ready. I promise I'm not abandoning my other projects; they will be updated intermittently as I break through their respective Writer's Blocks, but this I will be updating regularly. Anyway, let's get started with the first one!**

Darkness, nothingness. Only a sense of exhaustion, of weakness of body and mind.

Then…a scent. The smell of a coming storm, the burning scent of ozone. Followed by a voice…

"Hey, are you okay? Wake up!"

I cling to the scent, the voice, and slowly crawl into consciousness. I weakly open my eyes to reveal an unfamiliar landscape: a forest meadow, surrounded by really tall trees. In fact, the trees seem almost too tall… Then, a yellow face enters my vision and smiles.

"Thank goodness! You didn't seem to be moving; I thought you were dead!"

I blink a couple of times in confusion. Despite my fuzzy head, I recognize the yellow mouse with the lightning tail in front of me; I mean, he's only the primary mascot of the entire franchise! What's baffling me is how he is standing in front of me and TALKING! In my own language, nonetheless. Giving my head a shake to clear it, I ask, "Who are you?" Hearing my voice, I frown for a moment. Something seems off about it: it sounds almost child-like; much higher than normal.

"Of, me? My name's Sparky," he replies happily. "You're lucky I was walking by; what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"I-I don't know," I reply honestly. "I can't remember anything before I woke up here." I tried to concentrate, diving into the haze in my mind, and manage to recall something. "Wait! I remember my name; it's Lauren."

Sparky looks at me for a moment, bewildered, and then he broke out laughing! I glare at him as he said between chuckles, "You had me going for a moment. That sounds too much like a human name."

I jump to my feet and shout, "Because I AM human-" I pause mid-sentence because I realize three things wrong about this: 1) I'm eye-level with Sparky, when I should be towering over him; 2)I'm still on all fours, when I know I'm standing up; and 3) I can feel something sticking out behind me, something I swear wasn't there before.

Slowly, I turn to look behind me and see a chocolate-brown tail with a pure-white tip standing straight up in the air. Curious and slightly afraid to know, I think about wagging, and it responds, waving back and forth a couple of times! I slowly pan over the rest of my body, my panic growing as I see more brown fur, tiny paws instead of hands and feet, and a fluffy white ruff around my neck, before looking back at Sparky. He isn't laughing anymore, thoroughly confused at my panicked expression. "You look like a normal Eevee to me; did you hit your head too hard or something?"

I stumble over to a nearby puddle; my new legs seem uncoordinated and clumsy. Looking into its rippling surface, a round brown-furred head looks back, long pointed ears twitching on top and big brown eyes staring in shock and confusion. At this point, I'm nearly out of my mind from panic, and seeing this is the final straw. I throw my head back and scream at the top of my lungs, "HOW AM I A POKÉMON!"

Raw emotion burns my throar, as I collapse and start to cry. My sobs sing too loudly in my sensitive ears to hear anything else, but I feel a paw rest on my shoulder and smell the ozone scent get much stronger. Oddly, the scent seems calming to me, and I feel my tears lessen and cease. I look up to see a blurry image of Sparky with a gentle smile on his face. "it's okay," he says soothingly. "We will figure this out together." I manage to gather a weak smile in return and stand back up, blinking my tears away.

Just then, another voice speaks up. "Excuse me, I thought I heard someone scream. Is everything all right?" We both turn to see a large purple butterfly with white wings fly over and hover near us. A new scent wafts from the Pokémon: a mix of a brisk wind and a sort of sickly sweet smell, like that of a flower's nectar.

Since I am still lost in the scent, Sparky speaks for me. "Sorry, Ms. Butterfree. She was just a little confused, is all." This seems to satisfy her, but I notice the worry hasn't left her expression. If she's not worried about me, then…

I decide to ask, "Is there something else wrong, Ma'am?"

She shakes her head and replies, "Nothing you children should worry about. I'm just looking for my little Caterpie. I haven't seen him in a while; he's too young to be wandering alone."

Just then, the slight breeze shifts a little, and a new scent drifts past my sensitive nose. Well, not a new scent per se; it is the same sweet scent that Ms. Butterfree had, but no wind scent to accompany it, and it seems to be weaker, or maybe younger…? Curious, I start following it, leaving behind a confused Sparky and Butterfree. I am so entranced by the smell, I'm not watching where I am going!

At the last moment, I feel someone tugging on my tail, pulling me to a stop, right before I walk off a ledge into a crevice in the ground! I turn to see Sparky holding me back, still looking bewildered. "Uh, where were you thinking of going? Besides into a pit."

"I was following a scent," I explained.

He looked at me in confusion, and then sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything," he remarked.

"You don't?" I ask. "It's very strong; it smells like a flower's nectar. Ms. Butterfree smells the same, except there's also a windy smell to her."

"Really, dear?" she asks, flying up behind us. I nod. "Maybe there might be something to your senses. Regardless, I don't remember this crevice being here earlier today. My little one and I were walking through here this morning." She pauses, and then gasps. "You don't think…"

I sniff the air again, and then point down the crevice. "The scent is strongest from the crack; I think he might have fallen down." I got ready to jump down, but Sparky still held my tail (which is starting to hurt from being pulled, by the way).

"I wouldn't be so hasty, Lauren," he comments. I look at him, noticing Ms. Butterfree looking startled at hearing my name. "I recognize the place down there: it's called Tiny Meadow. It's a mystery dungeon."

"What's a 'mystery dungeon'?" I ask, confused.

"Oh right, memory loss," he notes. "A mystery dungeon is a weird occurrence that warps a certain area, creating shifting passages and multiple floors. It's like a maze, except it's different each time you enter. Only by reaching the end can you escape from it. However, the native Pokémon inside are very violent and will attack without hesitation, so you need to be careful."

"Oh no!" Ms. Butterfree exclaims. "If my poor baby fell into there, then…"

Sparky turns to face her. "Don't worry, we'll go get him. It shouldn't be too hard with the two of us." He turns back to me. "That is, if you want to."

"Of course I'll help," I reply. "Besides, I think I can track him through the dungeon, so we won't get lost."

He smiles, saying, "Then, let's get to it, partner!" The two of us jump down into the dungeon.

 **And there you go! Next time, we will explore our first mystery dungeon! Let me know what you think about our start in the reviews, and I will see you next week.**

 **Read and review, and may your Embers never fade!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. Sorry it's been a while; I have been...busy. As I am currently hiding from my mate during this time, I regret to say updates may be infrequent at best. If I do not update this story each week, I promise I will double-update the following week, like I am now! So, here's the first chapter in this update; enjoy!**

We did not fall far before we both land on all fours at the bottom (I'm surprised I did; must be the cat in me). I look up, hoping to see back outside, but a solid ceiling hangs over me with no sign of our previous entrance. _Guess we are trapped here until we reach the end_ , I think. The air is perfectly still, but I can still faintly detect the sweet smell from earlier. Other scents catch my attention as well: one that's like the one I'm tracking, a wind scent like Ms. Butterfree's, and a scent like fresh-cut grass. _Those must be the native Pokémon Sparky mentioned_ , I think.

"Are you sure this will work?" Sparky commented behind me. "The dungeons are always random; there should be no way you can follow a 'scent' through them!"

"Trust me," I reply. "I can still smell it, so if I follow it, we're good." I pick myself up and start walking down the passage ahead, twisting and turning as I follow the trail. I can hear Sparky behind me, though I can tell he's skeptical. Sure enough, we easily reach the stairs without running into any Pokémon.

"This…this shouldn't be possible," he stammers, looking at me in surprise and…admiration? I'm still staring at the stairs, trying to figure out why a 'meadow' has stairs. He notices my confusion, but shrugs it off. "It's common in mystery dungeons; don't worry about it. Not even the brightest minds in our world can figure it out." I nod and carefully walk down the steps, trying not to stumble down them.

On the next floor, the native Pokémon scents seemed heavier, but the trail was still fresh, so I resumed the lead. After a moment, I heard Sparky quip, "You know, you seem able to walk, for an Eevee who claims she's human." I look down in surprise to see he's right: I'm trotting along without any problem at all. Of course, as soon as I'm aware of it, my feet tangle up in each other and I promptly nosedive into the ground. "Or not…" he mumbles, trying not to laugh.

I pick myself up and give him a glare before turning back to the scent trail. _Just concentrate on the scent, and let your body handle itself,_ I told myself mentally. _Though, I promise I will practice by myself once we save Caterpie._

The scent trail continues to lead diligently through the corridors, and within minutes, we reach the stairs again. However, unlike on the previous floor, this stairway is guarded…sort of. Just as we entered the room, an odd pink worm Pokémon woke up and looked at us. It growled at me (though how a worm can _growl_ is beyond me), and charges right at me.

Too stunned to move, it hits me head on and knocks me off my feet. I land uncomfortably on my side, wincing in pain. "Lauren!" I hear Sparky yell, but before I can get up, it hits me again, sending me into the wall. I hear it growl again, and shakily climb to my feet. However, the scent of ozone increases sharply, and I look at Sparky to see his red cheeks sparking dangerously. As the pink worm leaps at me again, a brilliant bolt of lightning meets it in midair, sending it crashing into the far wall. It slumps to the floor, swirls in its eyes before blinking out of existence.

"Y-you killed it," I stammered, staring where the worm used to be.

"No, it's merely knocked out," he replied. "Like us, they get warped away when they faint, but not out of the dungeon. I told you the Pokémon trapped in these dungeons turn feral and attack anyone they meet; why didn't you fight back?"

"I don't know how," I retorted. "I'm human, remember?"

"Well, I guess you better practice here, before we advance any farther," he snaps back. "Here, try attacking me with Tackle; surely you know that move, and it's simple enough to figure out." He braces himself, but I just look at him in confusion. He sighs and instructs, "Just like with walking, your body already knows what to do; trust your instincts and come at me!"

I nod tentatively, and walk forward. _Tackle, Tackle,_ I chant in my head, and suddenly, it's like a button is pressed. I charge forward, leap, and drive my shoulder into Sparky's gut, feeling an odd energy shielding me from the impact. I can't say the same for Sparky: he collapses with a groan, the wind knocked out of him.

"W-wow, n-nice Tackle," he wheezes. "Do you know anything else?"

I concentrate for a moment, and feel that trigger again. Without thinking, I spin around and kick my hind legs up, showering Sparky with sand. Another trigger, and spontaneous clapping echoes around the room. A final trigger pull, and I'm wagging my tail at Sparky in a mocking fashion. Each time, I feel a slight drain of energy, though the sand one feels a little different than the others.

"Sand Attack, Tail Whip, and Helping Hand," he comments, spitting out sand in the process. "Interesting… Maybe I should lead, since I have more damaging moves; if you run out of Tackle, you're a sitting Ducklett."

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused and a little offended.

"Each move has a certain amount of energy devoted to it; we call it the PP, or Power Points, of the move. If you use up all the energy, or PP, for a move, you can't use it anymore. If all your PP runs out, any attempts will become a Struggle, which hurts both you and your opponent."

Seeing the sense in that, I nod and start for the stairs, but he puts a paw on my shoulder to stop me. "Hold on for a sec. Let's heal up a little; between the damage you took from the Wurmple, and attacking me, we could both use a pick-me-up." He pulls out a blue berry and breaks it in half. "Here, it's an Oran berry; it'll heal you." I bite into the berry, noticing how sweet it tastes on my sensitive tongue, and marvel as the aches in my body fade away.

We descend to the third floor, and I let Sparky lead the way, giving him directions based on the trail. However, his scent (the ozone smell he seems to naturally give off) muddles the scent trail, and we end up getting lost and fighting more Pokémon. I help when I can, but as he predicted, I soon ran out of Tackles, and could only stand back and support. By the rime we reach the stairs, he's panting hard from all the fights. He turns to me and jokes, "On second thought, when there aren't any Pokémon around, you lead." We both chuckle and walk down the stairs.

At the bottom is a dead-end room, and near the back wall, a green caterpillar is curled up, crying. I look at Spatky, and he nods, so I assume it must be Caterpie. He steps forward and says quietly, "Caterpie? Are you okay?"

He uncurls, looking at us in surprise and fear. I inch forward and say in a soothing voice, "It's all right; we're here to take you back to your mother.

"Y-you know Momma?" he squeaks in a timid voice. We nod, so he gets up and crawls up to us. "I was so scared; I fell into this hole, and the Pokémon attacked me, and…"

"It's all right, we'll get you out of here," Sparky promises. He then speaks in a bold voice, "RESCUE COMPLETE!"

A glowing light appears under our feet, and in a flash, all three of us find ourselves back at the crack in the ground. Ms. Butterfree swoops down and picks up Caterpie in a fierce embrace, crying tears of joy. "Oh, my baby, I was so worried!"

"He's fine, Ms. Butterfree," Sparky consoles her. "He only seems a little shaken up by the experience."

"Thank you so much, you two," she sighs with relief. "Here, I don't have much on me, but I want you to have them." She sets down three berries, one of which I recognize as the same kind Sparky fed me in the dungeon. Then, I notice Caterpie staring at me, with sparkles in his eyes. It's a little awkward, but at the same time gratifying. Ms. Butterfree bids us farewell, and the two of them leave for…wherever they live.

Sparky seems to have the same thought, as he turns to me and asks, "Lauren? Do you have any place to stay; it's getting dark." I shake my head; even if I did before, I don't remember now. "Well, I know of a place nearby. How about we look?" He picks up the berries and starts off without waiting for an answer, so I stumble after him; once again, without my tracking to distract me, I'm uncoordinated on all fours.

 **Don't I know, Lauren; I was a little unsteady myself starting out. Anyway, stay tuned for the second chapter in this update, to be posted soon.**

 **Please read and review, and may your Ember never fade!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here, bringing you the second chapter in this update. Enjoy!**

As we leave the forest, a building comes into view. It looks like a pretty generic-looking house, with a thatched roof and wooden walls, with a little mailbox out in front and a flag waving in the back. However, as I gaze over it, I can feel my tail begin waving on its own. _Something about this place makes me feel…happy,_ I think. _I don't know why, though. Is it because I'm an Eevee now?_

"So, what do you think? Sparky asks. "Will this work for now?"

"I-I guess," I reply. "But where will you live? I-I don't want to kick you or anyone else out of their home…"

"Don't worry, this house has been abandoned for a while; no one lives here. As for me, I live in a place called the Energetic Forest, a short distance away. So, it's no problem." Sparky gives me a warm smile. "I can tell you like it; your tail is wagging up a storm. How about we go inside?"

The inside was almost as plain as the outside: nothing more than a couple of straw mats and a stump table off to one side. However, even in the setting sunlight, it had a warm and inviting feeling; someplace that I knew could be hospitable for many years. Despite being abandoned, there was no leaf litter or debris anywhere.

I walk over to the large straw bed, and nestle into it to see how it feels. I expect it to be scratchy and uncomfortable, but it feels rather soft against my fur. Suddenly, I feel tired, my eyelids drooping as I struggle to stay awake.

"Well, it looks like you're getting comfortable," I hear Sparky comment from the door. "But before you crash, I have something I want to ask you."

I shake the sleepiness from my head and crawl out of the straw. "What is it?" I ask.

"W-well," he stammers. "T-the thing is…I was wondering if you would like to form a rescue team with me."

"A rescue team?" I ask, confused.

"Yeah," he replies. "You see, a lot of natural disasters and mystery dungeons have been popping up recently, so some of the sentient Pokémon have been organizing into rescue teams. Usually in teams of four, they venture into the mystery dungeons and help Pokémon in need, like Caterpie. I think with your special skill, we could easily become a really famous rescue team. S-so…how about it?"

I ponder for a moment, tilting my head unconsciously as I think, _I don't have anything I can do now. I mean, I want to figure out why I'm a Pokémon, but I don't think it can hurt to help Sparky. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?_ Decided, I nod and reply, "Okay."

"Great!" he exclaims. "I can file all the paperwork on my way home; the only thing we need is a name for our team, and to pick our leader. Honestly, I think you should be the leader, since you have that amazing nose and all. Do you have a good name for us?"

I'm a little shocked he trusts me enough to make me the leader, so I don't say anything for a moment. Recovering, I think for a moment before replying, "How about Team Scent? After all, it is scents I track."

"Perfect! I'll register us as Team Scent," he cheers. "I better head over to the Pelipper Post Office and register before they close. See you in the morning, Lauren!"

He runs out the door as fast as his four legs can carry him, and I chuckle a little at the sight. _Ambitious, isn't he?_ I think as I curl back up in the straw bed. This time, I let my weariness claim me and fall asleep.

 _I drift within a swirling mix of colors, even with my eyes closed. It feels like a dream, and yet, not. All my questions hover around me: who was I? Why am I a Pokémon? Why am I here? As I sink deeper into the sleep, I sense someone watching over me, but I cannot tell who or what it was._

 **And there you have it. I wonder who is watching over Lauren in her sleep, hmm?**

 **By the way, I have a question for all of you: should I include the Fairy type in this story, or leave it out? Let me know in the reviews.**

 **Please read and review, and may your Ember never fade!**


	4. Chapter 4

**FREEDOM! [notices audience] U-um, sorry. Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here, FINALLY, after quite some time. I apologize this has taken so long to update, but I have been running my tails off trying to escape my hormonal mate this ENTIRE MONTH! Anyway, I am working very hard to catch up on this story, so stay tuned all this week for more updates. Here you go!**

I woke the next morning in what seems at first to be unfamiliar surroundings. Then, I remember what happened yesterday, and look down to see I'm still an Eevee. _I guess yesterday wasn't a dream,_ I think. Even though I'm a little groggy in the morning, I pull myself out of bed. Stumbling, I remember my promise yesterday about practicing walking and running, so I crawl to one side of the house and face the other wall.

Taking carefully measured steps, I slowly inch my way across the room, watching my paws as I go. _As long as I alternate my paws,_ I think, _I can keep my balance and…OW!_ Not watching where I was going, I ram my head into the table, eliciting a whine of pain. _Got to also watch where I'm going, too._

After several laps around the room, I feel confident I can walk normally, and even run for short distances. _Now I can pass for a normal Pokémon,_ I thought, _at least at first glance._ Looking out the window, I can tell morning is well underway. _Wait, I wonder where Sparky is. We were supposed to form a rescue team, weren't we?_

Approaching the door, I catch his scent coming from outside. Sure enough, Sparky is fast asleep, leaning up against the doorjamb. I nudged him with my nose, stirring him from his nap. He opens his eyes, and then jumps awake.

"Oh, Lauren," he says sheepishly. "I-I was so eager to get started that I got here quite early. Then, I must have nodded off while waiting." He chuckles before motioning to the mailbox. "Anyway, I forgot to mention something. Around here, rescue teams will get news and job requests in the mail, so it would be a good idea to check it every day. In fact, why don't you check it now?"

I shrug and walk up to the mailbox; thankfully, it's short enough for me to look into without getting on my hind legs. To my surprise, there is a large package inside. I reach in and grab it with my teeth, pulling it out for Sparky to see. Emblazoned on it is a Pelipper's head and our team name.

"At last!" he exclaimed. "Our Rescue Team Kit came!" He tears off the wrapping and opens the box, revealing three items: a large leather bag, a pair of badges, and a newspaper. Sparky picks up one badge and hands it to me. "This is an official Rescue Team Badge. We use this to show we are an official team, as well as get Pokémon out of dungeons. Next, we have the Travel Bag; it holds all our items when we go into dungeons. Lastly, our copy of Pokémon News, the local newspaper. It often has tips for new teams."

He paused, and then asked, "Is that all there was in the mailbox?" Confused, I look inside again, but it's empty. Pulling my head back out, I shook my head. "Nothing? I was hoping we would have some rescue requests, but I guess since we're a new team, no one knows about us yet!" Something I like about Sparky is how nothing seems to get him down; his attitude always bounces back.

Just then, a new scent drifts past me, and a large shadow flies past the sun. _Seawater and wind,_ I note as I look up to see a large bird circling down to us. It lands heavily on top of the mailbox and says, "Greetings, Team Scent. My name is Pelipper III; I have come to deliver a letter. Here you go!" He reaches into his massive beak with one wing and pulls out a folded sheet of paper, which he hands to me. "Mission complete! Onward to mail!" he cried as he flies off.

I unfold the paper, but it doesn't seem readable. However, as I stare at it, the odd markings begin to make sense! 'Help, please,' the letter said. 'An electric wave swept through the dungeon, and stuck Magnemite, and Magnemite. That's not enough to form a Magneton. Please, get them out of the dungeon so they can be separated. Signed, Magnemite and Magnemite.' At the bottom were directions to a place called Thunderwave Cave. _That must be where the mission is,_ I think.

"Looks like we got ourselves a mission," Sparky said behind me, making me jump; I didn't notice him reading over my shoulder. "We better head for Thunderwave Cave right away; it will take a while to get there."

"We have to walk to the dungeon?" I ask, a little disheartened.

"Only for the first visit," he replies. "After that, we can use our badges to warp there directly."

"We will need to go back?" I ask.

"Who knows?" he replies honestly. "Still, with all the natural disasters, chances are more Pokémon could end up stuck in already-explored dungeons. That's why the badges are equipped for return trips." He places a paw on my shoulder. "Anyway, let's go!"

I nod, and we immediately set out.

 **And there you go. Next chapter, we jump into the second dungeon of the game, and Lauren will learn more about the Pokemon world. As I said, I'll try and update all this week until I catch up, so keep an eye out!**

 **Please read and review, and may your Ember never fade!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. As promised, here's the next chapter of my Mystery Dungeon adventure. Today, Team Scent will venture through the Thunderwave Cave. Enjoy~!**

After walking for a few hours (which I manage fairly well), we arrive at the cave that leads to the dungeon. Hovering outside are two odd hovering objects, each with a single eye and twin magnets for arms. _I'm guessing those are Magnemites?_ I think. _Bur they seem to be fine, so are they the ones who sent the mission?_

"BZZT! You have come!" one of them says. "Please save our friends! BZZT!" the other pleads.

"Don't worry, we will," Sparky replies; I'm too busy taking their scent so I can track them. If they seemed offended by my actions, they didn't say anything, so I take it as permission. Once I am ready, I nod to Sparky, and we head into the dungeon itself. As the entrance seals behind us, a wave of electric energy sweeps past us, setting my fur on end…literally! I can feel it puffing up around me, turning me into a walking fuzzball. I shake myself once to get rid of the static charge, and glare at Sparky; he's been chuckling the entire time.

I ignore him and take in the scents of the dungeon. Surprisingly, the most immediate scents weren't those I've come to associate with electricity. Oddly, one scent seemed like it was no scent at all! Ignoring it, I concentrate on the Magnemite's scent, and beckon to Sparky to follow. As we move from room to room, I notice Sparky will stop to pick up things off the floor and put it in the bag: things like piles of coins, berries, and even apples.

As he pours another handful (or pawful?) of coins into the bag on my back, I ask, "Sparky, what are you doing? We don't really have time to collect trash."

"It's not trash!" he remarks. "Mystery dungeons will often have items and Poké on the ground, which we can collect and use later; I didn't really pay attention to it before since we couldn't carry it all. But now, we should stock up for future missions."

"Poké?" I ask, confused.

"Poké is the currency around here," he explains. "We can use it to buy items not normally found in dungeons."

"And the berries and apples?" I persist. "Surely it cannot be healthy to pick up food off the ground and eat it!"

He chuckles. "You have got to be kidding. There is nothing wrong with eating these off the floor; here, try it." He holds out an apple he just picked up for me to bite into; I look it over, but it doesn't even look dusty. Hesitant, I take a bite and savor its crispy flavor; like my ears and nose, my tongue is equally enhanced. "See, not a problem, right?" I reluctantly agree, and yet something still seems…wrong.

Unlike in Tiny Woods, the scent trail didn't avoid the wild Pokémon, so we had to fight a lot more. As we climbed the floors, we finally encountered Pokémon of the same scent as Sparky, who tried to launch electricity at us. The key word being 'tried', because it was always drawn right to Sparky, who absorbed it without flinching. After a few times, I grew curious and ask him why, and he simply replies, "Lightningrod."

I tilt my head in confusion before catching myself. Still, he notices and sighs. "It's my ability; every Pokémon has a special ability, and mine draws electric attacks to me and nullifies them."

"What's mine, then?" I ask.

"Most Eevees have Adaptability, which makes moves that match your type stronger…that might be why your Tackle was so strong; it's normal type like you."

"Type?"

He gives me a deadpan look. "Really? It is the core of our power! Every Pokémon has one or two types. For example, I'm an Electric type, while the magnemite we are looking for are Electric and Steel type."

 _Is that what I'm tracking?_ I think. _Am I tracking Pokémon by their types?_ "So, am I a normal type?" I ask to clarify.

"Correct," he replies. "And if you DO have Adaptability, any move that utilizes normal-type energy, like Tackle, will get stronger. Unfortunately, moves that do not inflict damage, like Helping Hand, don't get the boost."

With all this new information, we continue onward. Thankfully, after only five floors, we spot the two troubled magnemites floating near the back of the cave. However, as we approach, they send out a huge burst of electricity, more than Sparky can absorb. Some of the sparks dance through my fur, causing my legs to lock up and I fall face-first in front of them.

"Lauren!" Sparky exclaims, rushing to my side. I try to get up, but I couldn't move. "Hold still; you got paralyzed. Here, I brought the Cheri Berry that Ms. Butterfree gave us." He places in my mouth what looks like a pair of cherries, which is probably why it's called that. I manage to bite down and chew it, feeling my limbs unlock and the sparks fade away. He shouts at the magnemites, "What was that for? We're here to help you!"

"Sorry, BZZT," they reply. "We thought you were dungeon Pokémon, BZZT."

"How can you mistake an Eevee in a dungeon like this?" Sparky exclaims. "I'd understand someone like me, but her?"

"We apologize again, BZZT," they reply. "Please get us out of here; we don't like being stuck like this."

"Fine," he grumbles. "Lauren, will you do the honors?"

I nod and hold my badge high, shouting, "MISSION CLEARED!" Unfortunately, the light only encircles me and I teleport out of the dungeon without Sparky or the magnemites! After a moment, Sparky appears with the others in tow and glares at me. "…Oops."

Sparky sighs and tells the clients, who look at me with confusion, "She's new to the whole 'rescuing thing'. Don't blame her." He whispers to me, "You need to be standing NEXT TO the target when you teleport out; otherwise, it only works on you."

"Right, I'll remember that," I reply quietly; thankfully my fur hides my embarrassed blush.

Regardless, the friends reunite, the stuck magnemites come free, and they give us a few items and money in return for saving them. However, we must walk back to my 'house', as the sun sets on this eventful day. Sparky leaves me at the doorstep, and I easily fall asleep on my bed, exhausted.

 _Once more, I find myself in my multicolored dream, floating in serene bliss. However, a lingering scent of incense and sweets drifts past my nose. 'Is someone here?" I wonder, but my thoughts drift away as I fall into deeper sleep._

 **And there you go! We get a peek at the truth behind Lauren's ability, as well as her mystery dream visitor. What's going to happen next, I wonder? Find out soon!**

 **Please read and review, and may your Ember never fade!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. I know updates have been sparse at best, but believe me, I'm trying. Please bare with me. Anyway, here's the next chapter, where Lauren learns about Pokemon Square, and general missions. I will probably skip later filler days, just for convenience. Enjoy!**

The next morning, I woke up with the rising sun. Stretching and shaking loose straw out of my fur, I grab an Apple from the explorer's bag for a quick breakfast. Still chewing, I walk outside and check the mailbox for any new mail. Looking inside, I find it completely empty. _No jobs today,_ I thought.

"No jobs today?" I hear behind me; I turn to see Sparky walking up behind me. "I guess we got lucky yesterday." He smiles suddenly. "Oh, I know! How about I show you around town? We can stop by the Post Office as well."

"Town? As in people?" I ask. "I thought you didn't believe in humans."

"Not a human town, silly," he teases. "A Pokémon one! It's a great spot for rescue teams to gather and prepare for their next mission. Wanna go?"

"I guess," I reply, a little hesitant; I'm unsure if I can act Pokémon enough to fool everyone. He leads me a short distance away, to a small collection of buildings situated around a central circular area. A few Pokémon are standing around, talking to one another, while others man what look like shops.

"Welcome to Pokémon Square!" Sparky exclaims, brandishing a paw at the sight. "I know, it doesn't look like a square per se, but the name sort of stuck. Here, I'll explain the shops." He points to what looks like a general store. "That is the Kecleon Market, run by the two Kecleon brothers, Gary and Paul. Gary's the green one, and he sells various items for teams to use in the dungeons like berries and seeds. Paul, on the other hand, is the purple one, and sells TMs and special Orbs."

Pointing at a stall that had lockboxes along the back wall, he said, "Felicity Bank here, run by Princess the Persian, will hold all our Poké that we don't use, so we won't lose it if we get kicked out of a dungeon. She's never been robbed, so it's guaranteed secure." Pointing next to a large brown building south of the Market, he said, "Here we have Kangaskhan Storage, run by Mama Kanga and her little one Junior. They can store any items we don't want to take into the dungeon with us, as well as any rewards we get from missions." Lastly, pointing at an odd building south of the Bank, he comments, "And here is the Gulpin Link Shop, run by Gulp. I'm not sure exactly what he does, but he claims he can 'link' Pokémon moves together so they can be used all at once."

"That's all the major shops in the Square, but there are a couple features just outside. To the north is Wishcash's Pond, where the Elder lives; he often will tell stories to the younger Pokémon or anyone who wants to listen. To the south is Makuhita Dojo, where rescue teams can train in mini-dungeons to hone their skills and moves; unfortunately, it's closed now. And lastly, to the east is Pelipper Post Office, where we're going. Come on!" Sparky leads the way, greeting some of the Pokémon talking in the area, but I mostly hang back and avoid eye contact.

After walking for a few minutes, we reach a large building near the cliff, shaped like a Pelipper's head, with the same birds flying in and out of its mouth. "This is the Pelipper Post Office, as you can see," Sparky says. "They take care of all the mail and rescue requests for the various teams around here. Also, if a team runs into trouble in the dungeons and cannot escape, it can send out an SOS here, and another team can attempt to rescue them. However, we can visit them later; what we need is right here."

He gestures to a billboard set next to the building, with lots of papers pinned on it. "This is the Job Bulletin Board. Job requests not sent directly to rescue teams are posted here, for anyone to claim if they want. We can come here every day and select jobs from the board, complete them, and reap lots of rewards. Even better, see the little sensor on top of the board?" He points at a small object on one corner. "It allows us to teleport here once all our missions are done!"

I walk up to the Board and scan the pages. Just like with the letter, I couldn't read them for a moment, but as I stare at them, they make more sense. _Is this related to my instincts?_ I think. _I'll ask Sparky later._ Only a few jobs were for dungeons we've been to before, and I didn't feel like tackling a new dungeon, so I bite down on a couple papers listed for Tiny Woods, and show them to Sparky.

"An item retrieval and a rescue for Tiny Woods? Good choices. Nothing too strenuous, and we can get more items for later dungeons." He pauses in thought. "Wait, how is your tracking ability going to work on the item retrieval? I would rather not search the ENTIRE floor for no reason."

In response, I try to get a scent from the job notices themselves, reasoning that the one who put them up would leave their scent on the paper. Sure enough, I could detect faint signatures from the paper, and they match the clients'. "Thought so. I can track the clients' scent from their notices, and follow THAT through the dungeon," I respond, confidence in my voice.

"Nice!" Sparky exclaims. "Let's see what Gary has in his store, and then head out!" We walk back into town and swing by the Kecleon Market. Buying a berry or two, we visit Mama Kanga and Princess to store what we don't need, and then use our badges to teleport directly to Tiny Woods. Trekking through the dungeon itself was easy with my tracking skill, and Sparky taught me how to complete multiple missions without teleporting out. Turns out, simply shining the badge on the target will warp them out for you, and you can keep going.

Once we finish, we warp directly to the Bulletin Board, where the clients wait for us. Each give us the promised reward, which includes items or Poké. We also get Rescue Points, which Sparky told me correspond to the mission's rank, or how difficult it is. Once we get enough points, our team will move up in rank. At the end of the day, we head back to my house (I'm starting to think of it as mine, by now), and Sparky bids me good night.

 _Once more, I'm back in that swirling dream world. Again, the scent of incense and sweets drifts by, teasing at my nose like a dangling lure. "Are you there?" I ask silently. "Where are you?" There is no response. Suddenly, the area starts shaking violently, like an earthquake. "Is this real?" I ask no one in particular, as I wake._

 **And there you have it. Next time, Lauren climbs Mt. Steel, and faces her first boss! Stay tuned!**

 **Read and review, and may your Ember never fade!**

 **P.S. For more consistent updates, come join the Eon Village forum, here on this site.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here, bringing you another chapter of The Mystery Makes Scents. I apologize if I haven't been as diligent about this story as I said I would, but we had an issue at home. Long story short, a couple of hunters stumbled upon our sanctuary, and...well...we now have two new residents. Just a warning to any fans out there: don't come looking for me. Regardless, enjoy!**

Coming to my senses, I notice that the ground is still trembling slightly; probably the aftershocks of an earthquake. _So that's what I felt in my dream,_ I think. Suddenly, a voice echoes about my room.

"Excuse me, is Team Scent's Base?"

I look around, but the place is empty save for me. "W-who are you? I can't see you," I call out, a little nervous. _The last thing I need is ghosts…_

"Oh, pardon us," the voice responds. "We didn't realize you cannot see us." A clump of three round heads pop out of the ground in the middle of the room, startling me from my bed. It (He? They?) turn to face me and speak again. "Greetings, we are Dugtrio. Our child was kidnapped by a horrible beast, and taken to the peak of Mt. Steel. Please help; we must go!" With that, they vanish back into the ground before I can even get a word out.

I stare for a moment at the hole in the floor, too stunned to do anything. Shaking my head, I decide this must be a job request, and head for the door to tell Sparky the news. I skirt around the hole, not wanting to fall in, and step outside; I can tell Sparky is waiting for me, as his scent drifts in through the door. _Speaking of…_ I realize, pausing by the hole to take in the Dugtrio's scent; I figure whatever their child is, it would have the same scent as them.

Sure enough, Sparky is waiting for me. "Hey, Lauren," he says. "Did you feel that earthquake this morning? Sure seemed strong…"

"No time," I reply. "We have a new mission…"

Suddenly, the Dugtrio pops out of the ground between us, startling us both. "Yes, we need your help!" they exclaim. "You must hurry to Mt. Steel! We will see you there!" And then they vanish again.

Sparky and I stare at each other, and at the hole they left behind. "…O-okay," he replies. "Not the most…subtle…method of asking for help, but we can't really turn them down now. Let's gather supplies and head out. Mt. Steel is a little farther away than Thunderwave Cave, so it will probably be late afternoon by the time we get there. Thankfully, time moves more slowly in mystery dungeons, at the cost of making us hungrier as we travel."

We stop by Pokémon Square to sort out our items, and then make our way to Mt. Steel. I'm not as nervous this time; maybe I'm getting used to acting like a normal Pokémon? Regardless, as we arrive at the base of the mountain dungeon, we run into Dugtrio again, who informs us that the peak is on floor 9. This will be the longest dungeon we've traversed so far, so we steel our nerves (Get it?) for the climb.

Now that I realize I'm scenting a Pokémon's type, it easily becomes apparent what kind of Pokémon we might run into in the dungeon. At first, the few Pokémon we run into have no scent and are Normal like me, but as we climb, the normal-types disappear and there are more varied types. Some smell like fresh soil or rust, while a few have a distinct sweaty smell, like they've been working out.

Along the way, I notice Sparky picking up various items and putting them in our bag, primarily little round stones. My curiosity got the better of me and I ask, "Why are you picking up rocks? There are rocks everywhere."

"Not these kinds," he comments. "You'll sometimes find special throwable items in dungeons or shops, like these Gravelrocks. If you throw them at an enemy, they inflict a set amount of damage, regardless of possible resistance due to their type. Since Skarmory are Steel-type, we may need something that can do consistent damage."

"Do we have to fight the Skarmory?" I ask. "We can't reason with it?"

"Maybe, maybe not," he replied. "It never hurts to be sure. Even sentient Pokémon can go rogue in a dungeon and attack other Pokémon. It's also possible the Skarmory may be an outlaw, which explains the kidnapping."

"Outlaw?" I ask. "Like, criminals?"

"Of a sort," he replies. "Pokémon can become outlaws for a variety of reasons, be they petty thieves or serial killers. Part of being a rescue team means catching these Pokémon and turning them over to the authorities." He must have noticed the alarm on my face, as he amends, "…Hopefully, we won't be facing anything too difficult at first."

A little relieved, we continue up the mountain, and eventually we reach the top. I spot the child right away; it looks just like Dugtrio, but one has one head. Unfortunately, it appears to be rooted on the far side of a ravine, out of our reach. Sparky whispers its name as Diglett in my ear, which I appreciate. Stepping forward, I call out, "Diglett! Are you all right?"

Suddenly, a sharp cry rings out, and a large bird made of metal swoops down out of the sky to land in front of us. "Stay away from him!" she screeches. "He must be punished!"

"Skarmory," Sparky asks calmly. "Why did you kidnap Diglett?"

"Because it's all his fault, him and his family," she cried. "All of these earthquakes have kept me from sleeping, and they are being caused by them! He must be punished for his crime against me! If you try and save him, I WILL fight you!" She launches back up into the sky, sweeping her wings forward and firing large gusts of wind at us.

"It's no use," Sparky comments as we are pushed back by the Gust. "We need to knock her out." I nod in reply and place a paw on his shoulder, giving him a quick Helping Hand before he launches a Thundershock. The electricity shocks the bird out of the sky, giving me a chance to rush forward with a Tackle. Unfortunately, she resists the attack and knocks me aside with a wing.

I wince from the pain, and Sparky retaliates with another Thundershock, this time getting lucky and paralyzing her. Unfortunately, she was still in the air, so I could not attack. Taking a chance, I grab some of the Gravelrocks and throw one of them at the paralyzed bird. It sails in an arc and strikes her on the beak, eliciting a shriek of pain. She immediately turns on me and swoops down, her all-ready metal wings shiny brightly.

The Steel Wing attack slams into me HARD, and I go flying into the wall, screaming wordlessly in pain. Spots dance before my eyes, and I feel like I'm about to faint. Then, I feel something rising out of the bag on my back and fasten itself to me. I look down to see a seed sprouting in my fur, the tendrils spreading to cover my wounds. A soothing warmth spreads throughout my body, healing the damage I've gathered throughout the dungeon, not just from this battle.

 _I'll ask Sparky what happened after the battle_ , I think to myself before rejoining the fight. Thankfully, she was grounded by her paralysis, so I could freely attack. Between the two of us, we manage to knock her out. However, she didn't stay down for long; she quickly got up and flew away, vowing revenge next time we meet.

Unfortunately, we still have a problem: Diglett is still on the wrong side of the canyon! It is too far to jump, even for Sparky, and we have no clue how deep it is, so we cannot climb down and back up. Then, I caught a familiar scent on the wind: a rusty smell intermixed with ozone. Sure enough, the two Magnemite we saved a couple of days ago appear.

"BZZT, we heard you were trying to save Diglett, and thought you could use some help," they comment. I quickly explain the situation, and together we come up with a solution: The Magnemite carry Diglett across the ravine, where we can use our badges to teleport everyone out of the dungeon. They end up carrying a large chunk of the ledge as well, for some reason, but it works out anyway.

Back at our team base, Diglett thanks us for the rescue. Suddenly, a voice spoke up from nowhere, casing everyone to look around. "Well done, you saved Diglett. Thank you!"

"Who said that?" Sparky asks, even though we've heard this voice before.

"Silly us, you can't see us, can you? Sorry about that." Sure enough, it's Dugtrio, popping out of the ground to everyone's surprise. "Hello, we're Dugtrio. We would like to thank you for rescuing Diglett."

"We don't deserve ALL the credit," Sparky admits. "We would have failed if the Magnemite hadn't shown up." I look at Sparky in surprise; I never thought he would be one to admit his own shortcomings.

The Dugtrio turns to the two Magnemite and says, "In that case, we are very grateful to you two."

"BZZT. It was our pleasure," one of them replies. "The fact our evolutions are both joined trios leads us to feel a sort of kinship toward each other."

 _Evolution?_ I almost ask aloud, before catching myself. _A normal Pokémon would know what 'evolution' is, so I should wait until Sparky and I are alone first._

"Anyway," the Dugtrio continue. "you all did a great job, and you will be well rewarded." He gives Sparky a neat sum of Poké, as well as a few good items, before he and Diglett disappear into the ground.

"BZZ, we suppose we should be going as well," the Magnemites say, before turning to leave. However, Sparky calls out to them to stop.

"Wait a second," he says quickly. "I wonder if you would like to join Team Scent. After all, we wouldn't have finished this last job without your help. It might be useful if we could rely on your help in the future. Right, Lauren?" He turns to me with hope in his eyes, so I couldn't turn him down. I nod and he smiles. "Great, so how about it?"

The magnemites look at one another, before one floats forward and says, "Bzzz…sounds like fun. But if you want us to join you on missions, we need someplace nearby to stay."

"Oh dear," Sparky mumbles. "I forgot about that. I mean, I live close by, but all the properties around me are taken."

Sparky isn't very quiet, so the magnemite overhear him. "If there isn't any place for us to stay, then we must decline. Sorry." He and his friend hover away without another word.

I can tell Sparky is feeling down, so I walk up beside him and wrap my tail around him in comfort. "Oh well, we tried," I say. "Maybe we can find somewhere we can ask new recruits to stay."

Sparky immediately perks up. "That's right! Wigglytuff!" I tilt my head in confusion, and he explains, "Right next to Felicity Bank is a shop run by an eccentric Wigglytuff named Wham. He owns most of the land to the west of town, but will only allow his 'friends' to buy from him. He wasn't in the other day, for whatever reason, but he should be there tomorrow. Maybe he could sell to us."

"It's worth a try," I reply. "Before you go, though, I want ask you something. During the battle with Skarmory, when I was knocked down and almost unconscious, an item flew out of our bag and latched on to me, healing me back to full strength."

"Was it a shiny-looking seed?" Sparky asks. I nod, and he replies, "Great, we used a Reviver Seed. Those are really rare seeds that can revive fallen Pokémon in dungeons; we got one from the Magnemites on our last mission. Oh, well; we can buy more from the Kecleons, though they will be expensive. In the future, we should only bring one or two, so we don't waste them."

"Are there other seeds?" I ask, curious. I know Sparky was picking up lots of things in the dungeons, including seeds with various markings.

"Yes," he explains. "There are seeds that can modify stats on you or your opponent; put enemies to sleep or set them on fire; even make other Pokémon attack them instead of you. Again, we can buy them from Greg, but anything we find in the dungeons will surely be helpful. Sometimes, if you're confident in your levels, it's not a bad idea to explore an entire dungeon for items alone."

"How do you know so much?" I ask incredulously.

"Uh…um…well…" he stammers. He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment, and I regret asking.

"Never mind," I admit. "If you don't want to say, that's fine; I'm just glad you DO know so much, to make up for my LACK of knowledge."

"Ah, shucks," he says. "You're learning quickly, so don't put yourself down. Anyway, it's getting late; if we want to talk to Wigglytuff tomorrow, we should get some sleep and get up early. See you tomorrow!" He heads back to his house, and I retire to my bed as well. Even though I was revived by the seed, I am still exhausted. I quickly fall fast asleep as soon as my head hits the straw.

 _Once again, I wake in the ever-shifting dreamworld. I catch the scent again, and look around for its source. Finally, I notice an outline of a tall figure in the distance; one that seems familiar, but I can't put my paw on it. "Who are you," I call, hoping for an answer. However, even though a voice seems to answer, I cannot make out what it's saying. The only words I can hear are 'human' and 'role'. "Wait," I ask. "Human? My role? What do you mean?" The outline fades without answering me, and I drift into deeper sleep._

 **And there you have it. I made it much longer than usual, to make up for it being late. Next time, Lauren meets the 'lovable' Wigglytuff and gains access to Friend Areas, as well as meeting a few characters that will make her life interesting. Stay tuned, and hopefully it won't be too long this time!**

 **Please read and review, and may your Ember never fade!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. As promised, I've brought you another chapter of the Mystery Makes Scents. I know it's been a while, but hopefully I can bounce back now. Anyway, here you go!**

I wake groggily, still bewildered by my dreams. _She knew something about me,_ I think. _I wonder what it can tell me?_ Stumbling slightly from my bed, I walk out of my house…and right into Sparky, who's waiting outside. "Whoa there, partner," he exclaims, pulling me upright. "You look a little droopy and distracted. Here, how about a little 'wake up' jolt?" He fires a small tendril of electricity into me, snapping me to my senses rather painfully and making my fur stick out all over.

"Yow!" I exclaim. "Is t-that r-really n-necessary?!" My teeth are chattering from the residual electricity.

"Oops, sorry," he apologizes, rubbing the back of his head. "For a moment, I forgot you weren't electric type. You reminded me of my younger brother, what with waking up slowly."

I realize he had not spoken of his family before, so I ask as I shake out my fur, "What's he doing now? What about your parents?"

A dark look crosses his face for moment, before he returns to his usual happy nature. "He's still with them; they know I'm old enough to live on my own, but he needs to wait a few years." I can tell he doesn't want to say more, so I don't press him. "Anyway," he changes the subject. "Why were you so drowsy today? Didn't sleep well?"

"Well," I hesitate, not sure how he'll take it. "There's been a figure in my dreams lately. I can't tell who it is, or what kind of Pokémon, but it seems to know about me; It knew I used to be human. I did catch the scent of incense and sweets coming from it."

Sparky didn't say anything for a moment. Then, he says, "Maybe it has something to do with you becoming a Pokémon? I mean, if it knew you used to be a human, maybe it had something to do making you a Pokémon?" I nod, since it seems to make sense. "By the way," he continues. "Have you thought about what you're going to do? Do you WANT to become a human again, or stay a Pokémon?"

I pause for a moment. _Given I can't remember who I was as a human,_ I think. _Maybe…it would be okay to remain a Pokémon…_ Sparky chimes in, "In my opinion, I would love it if you stay here!" His smile is too innocent to turn down, so I smile in return. "Anyway," he changes the subject. "We better get to Wigglytuff's shop, if we want to recruit new members to our team."

We head over to the Square, which seems a little more lively than before. Sure enough, the empty building next to Felicity Bank was open, and a large pink creature stood at the counter, bouncing happily on the balls of his feet. _I guess that's a wigglytuff?_ I think. "Hello!" he spoke cheerily. "Welcome to Wigglytuff's Guild – a circle of friends! I'm guessing you're a new rescue team, and you'd like to recruit some new members?"

We nodded, and he continues. "Well, you've come to the right place! I sell Friend Areas; that's what I call them, at least. Once you have a Friend Area for a certain Pokémon, they may ask you to join your team after a fight. If you agree, and the Pokémon survives until the end of the dungeon or you warp out, he or she joins permanently. All of the Friend Areas are west of Pokémon Square, so go visit your friends when you want them on your team!"

"Since you're a new team, I can grant you two Areas for free. Here you go!" He steps back from the counter, does a little dance, and shouts, "YOOOMTAAAAAH!" A brief flash of light blinds Sparky and I, and when our vision clears, two pieces of paper sat on the counter. One had 'Transform Forest' on the top, while the other said 'Energetic Forest'. "Congratulations," he says happily. "These deeds are proof that you bought these Friend Areas. Now any Pokémon who would live in those Areas will be willing to join your team!"

"Wait," Sparky jumps in. "I live in Energetic Forest; when did you buy…?" He pauses, and then realization dawns on him. "Oh, right…"

Then, I catch a familiar scent on the wind, and turn to see the two magnemites from yesterday floating up. The right one looks at Wigglytuff and asks, "Bzzz. If you're giving away Friend Areas, can you give them access to the Power Plant?" Wigglytuff nods and does his dance, causing the Power Plant deed to appear. The left magnemite looks at us and says, "We reconsidered your offer last night, and my friend developed a strong urge to join you. Will you accept?"

Sparky gave a short laugh. "You forget, we were the ones asking you first! So, of course we accept. Welcome to Team Scent!"

The magnemites give a happy hum. "Bzzt! Great. I'll await you at the Power Plant if you need me," the right one says, and the two of them left. Wigglytuff turns to us and says, "That's all the freebies I can offer; the rest you have to buy the rest."

I step next door to Felicity Bank and withdraw all of the Poké we have saved, and using Sparky's input, pick out a couple of other Areas for us. Unfortunately, the rest are too expensive to afford. Together, we decide to keep saving up Poké for future purchases; the more Areas we own, the larger our team can become.

After visiting the Bulletin Board for more jobs, we start heading back to the base. However, a large crowd had gathered in the middle of the square, blocking our way. Using my small size, I manage to squeeze through gaps in the crowd and see four Pokémon standing in the center of the group. Taking their scents (which was hard with all the other Pokémon around), the three Pokémon standing tall on one side had loamy and midnight smells, while the one cowering on the other side had a windy and loamy scent.

"But…but I don't have any money…" the small Pokémon whimpers. I heard Sparky whisper to me, "Jumpluff." I give a slight nod of thanks, my eyes locked on the three larger ones. He whispers again, "Shiftry, and his two Nuzleaf lackeys." I nod again.

"Well, you should of thought of that before asking US for help," the shiftry replies. "Team Shiftry only works for money; no money, no deal."

"Now that's hardly fair," a silky voice spoke up. The crowd parts to reveal three new Pokémon, all fully evolved. One is a large dinosaur which smells of soil and midnight air, and another was a large red dragon which smells of smoke and wind. The last, clearly the leader, was an odd bipedal fox with two spoons in his hands; he smells of strong incense.

I hear Sparky gasp next to me and turn to him. "Oh my Mew," he whispers. "It's Team ACT! Alakazam, Charizard, and Tyranitar; they're a Gold-rank team, and super popular. It's said that Alakazam is so smart, he knows almost everything!"

"From what I heard," Alakazam says. "All Jumpluff's friend needs is a gust of wind, and your leafy fans can generate wind quite easily. Besides, it is our duty as rescue teams to help others, regardless of the reward."

Shiftry pauses and shuffles uncomfortably under Alakazam's gaze, and then mutters "Fine, I'll do it." He and his allies quickly run off, and the crowd cheers for Team ACT as they walk away. However, as Alakazam walk past my hiding spot, he seems to pause for a moment. His eyes look straight at me, and I flinch under his gaze. Charizard stops next to him and asks, "Is something wrong?"

He holds my gaze for a moment, and then shakes his head. "Never mind. It's nothing," he replies, and turns away. I stare after them, bemused. _Why did he stare at me?_ I think. _Could he know something? Like how I used to be human?_

As the crowd disperses, Sparky comes up to me. "That was so cool!" he exclaims. "Let's work hard on rescue missions, so we can be Gold rank as well!" I nod absently, not really listening. Something has caught my attention; an illusive scent has drifted past my sensitive nose. It reminds me of gravestones and nighttime, and yet something else lingers just underneath.

Sparky notices my distraction, and decides to call it a day. We return to the base, and Sparky heads home. I stay up later tonight, tossing and turning, wondering about Alakazam's reaction and the mystery scent.

 **Can anyone guess who the mystery scent belongs to? Find out next time!**

 **Also, we desperately need new people on the Eon Village forum, so please come attend! Please!**

 **Read and review, and may your Ember never fade!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. Sorry it's been so long since I uploaded, but my computer broke down, and I had to scramble to rescue my Porygon from it. Now, I'm back and ready to bring another chapter of The Mystery Makes Scents. Now, I am deviating from the normal gameplay, but I think it works. Enjoy!**

The next morning, Sparky and I plan out a routine we would follow each day, in hopes of reaching the same rank as Team ACT. We would meet up in front of our base/my house each morning, about when Pelipper III arrives with the mail. After taking any missions we want from there, we would head to the Square and sort out our items, buying what we need and saving up for more Friend Areas. Then, we search the Board for more requests, take as many as we can in one dungeon, and head back to base to set out.

Our first return to Mt. Steel, one of the spearow got up after we beat it, and suddenly spoke! "You guys are really strong," she chirps. "Can I join you?"

As the leader, Sparky looks to me for confirmation, so I nod and reply, "Of course. What's your name?"

"Sally," she replies, as she flies to stand behind Sparky; we find it easier to travel the narrow passages of the dungeons if we're walking in a straight line.

After we finish our missions for the day, we teleport back to the Board for our rewards, and any recruits we obtain in the dungeon (like Sally), or ones we bring with us, head back to their Areas. Sparky usually leaves soon after, and I head to bed afterward. However, unbeknownst to him, I tend to do some training in Tiny Woods on my own. It's small enough that I cannot get lost, and yet I can get decent experience from the enemies there. One of the downsides of using my scent tracking on missions is we don't get into many fights with the wild Pokémon. I also keep an eye out for jobs in Tiny Woods, taking them without Sparky noticing and hiding them in my Defense Scarf for later. I end up sneaking through town late at night, though; thankfully, most of the shopkeepers are heavy sleepers. Only Princess sleeps lightly, since she keeps watch over her vault; I gotten quite adept at sneaking past her.

Our usual routine is interrupted a few days later, when a jeering voice disrupts Sparky's morning greeting. "So, this is Team Scent's base, huh? What a dump!"

I step around my friend to see three Pokémon standing in the road, facing the base. One looks like a purple snake with some yellow rings; he has a strong swampy scent, so he must be a poison type. Another is a muscular figure wearing poofy pink pants; she smells of sweat and incense, so she's fighting and psychic type. The last is a large purple figure with a huge evil grin on his face; his scent catches me off guard. It was the same scent I briefly noticed earlier: grave soil, swamp, and something else…

Sparky whispers their names to me softly, just loud enough for me to hear: "Ekans, Medicham, and Gengar." I subtly nod my thanks.

Suddenly, Medicham points and shouts, "Look, a full mailbox! Let's raid it!"

Gengar's grin gets even larger, and he starts walking for it. I growl unconsciously at his audacity, and charge at him with my Tackle. However, I just pass through him! I turn for another attack, but I meet his eyes instead. They glow for a moment and seem to multiply, spreading and surrounding me. Intense fear of those eyes spread throughout my body, keeping me from moving anything. Thus, I cannot dodge as Medicham throws a lightning-fast punch at my side.

Immense pain lances through me as I am sent flying off to the side, landing hard on my stomach in the road. Despite the pain, I try to stand, but I'm still paralyzed by Gengar's gaze. I do manage to open my eyes to see Sparky wrapped in Ekans's coils, so tightly he can't generate any sparks in his cheeks.

Gengar rifles through the mailbox, taking a few of the requests and dumping the rest in the dirt. He steps on the discarded letters, grinding them into the ground as he comments idly, "Now is that any way to treat a fellow rescue team?"

Sparky manages to choke out, "But…those…are…our…jobs…"

"Not anymore," Ekans hisses in his ear. "They now belong to Team Meanies, the rising star of rescue teams!"

"We're intent on world domination!" Medicham chimes in with a singsong tone.

"Besides," Gengar finishes as he steps away from the ruined papers, passing the ones he held onto to Medicham. "It doesn't matter WHO does them, as long as they get done, right? May as well be the best team around! You should stay out of our way, if you know what's good for you…"

He sinks into the ground cackling, while Medicham runs off down the road, Ekans not far behind. As they disappear, the paralyzing effect on me fades, allowing me to shakily climb to my feet; the pain of the super-effective move had subsided to a dull ache, thanks to toughening up my body through my training. Sparky tries to launch a Thundershock at the retreating Ekans, but it falls short.

"What a bunch of jerks," he growls. "And they call themselves a 'rescue team'; they're nothing but bullies!" He turns to me, massaging his sides where Ekans gripped him. "Are you all right, Lauren? That punch really hit you hard; why didn't you dodge it?"

"I couldn't move," I explain. "Gengar's gaze had me completely paralyzed."

"Oh, that must have been Mean Look," he comments. "It holds a Pokémon in place, unable to move or evade. We'll need to be careful of that in the future." He looks at the pile of ruined papers. "All those requests…destroyed…what a waste. What do we do now?"

At that very moment, I hear the familiar flaps of Pelipper's wings, and see him land as he always does. He notices the destruction and says, "I'm guessing it was Team Meanies?" I nod, and he shakes his head. "They've done that to a few teams now; thankfully, we've been making copies of the requests we send out, so they get added to the Board just in case. In the meantime, here's your mail!" He takes it out of his bill and places it in the mailbox, and then flies off.

Sparky breathes a sigh of relief. "That's good; I hate to think what would have happened if the requests we turn down go unfulfilled. Regardless, let's heal and prepare for the day!" I nod enthusiastically, and we grab a couple of Oran berries before resuming our routine.

 **And there you have it. I felt better having them actually fight, rather than just stand there. Anyway, next time, Team Scent embarks into a new dungeon, as well as getting revenge on Team Meanies. Stay tuned!**

 **Please read and review, and may your Ember never fade.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, everyone! I'm back! I apologize for taking to long, but I had some difficulties in many areas to sort out, and things are only now coming into alignment. Anyway, I have a fairly long chapter for you guys and girls, to make up for the hiatus. Enjoy!**

A few days later, Sparky and I were about to start our morning when we were once again interrupted.

"Excuse me, is this Team Scent's base?"

The timid voice behind Sparky turned out to be Caterpie, the young Pokémon I rescued on my first day in this world. Ms. Butterfree wasn't around, so he must have come alone.

"What's wrong?" Sparky asked.

"My friend and I were playing close to a dungeon named Sinister Woods, when something startled us. My friend ran into the Woods in fear before I could stop him, and I haven't seen him since. Mom forbade me from entering any more mystery dungeons until I'm older, so I can't go find him."

"Don't worry, kid. We'll find him," a coarse voice rang out, as Team Meanies stepped out of the bushes on the far side.

Sparky's cheeks buzzed in irritation, while I swallow a growl. "He came to US for help!" he growled. "Stay out of this!"

"Like I said before," Gengar taunted. "It doesn't matter who does it, as long as it gets done, right? So how about a race, then? First to find Caterpie's friend gets the reward. Deal?"

"B-but…" Caterpie stammered weakly. "I…don't have any reward…"

"I wouldn't worry about that, kid," Gengar replied evilly. "I'm sure your mum will pay us _handsomely_ when we're done. Kehehehe! Let's go, boys!"

They ran off into the distance. I made to go after them, but Sparky pulled me up short.

"You're letting them get a head start!" I complained.

"It can't be helped, Lauren," he replied calmly. "We're not equipped to explore a new dungeon right now, while they already had their supplies on hand; I caught a glimpse of their Explorer Bag as they ran off. However, we have a distinct advantage over them, remember?" He casually booped me on the nose. "You can guide us right to our target, while they have to wander blind; we can take our time to prepare."

Such an intimate gesture left me speechless, so he question's Caterpie in my stead. "Who is your friend, anyway? Preferably his name or species…"

"Um, he's a little older than me, so he's a Metapod. We've never asked each other for names, so…"

"That's fine," Sparky interrupted. "We'll save him, no problem. Right, Lauren?"

I recover and nod firmly, so we set out for town. Sine we haven't been to Sinister Woods before, we loaded up on as many items in preparation for whatever we may find in there. Before we headed out, however, Sparky pulled me off to one side in front of Makuhita's Dojo.

"There might be a chance we'll have to fight Gengar and his team. If we run into them before finding Metapod, they'll try and stop us. Do you have any ideas to get the jump on them?"

"Well," I admit. "I have been practicing something on my own. I know now that I can't hit Gengar with my normal moves, but I can keep him from using his **mean look** against me. If you can keep Medicham busy, I'll take out Ekans, and then we can double up on Gengar."

"Sounds like a plan," he remarked. "Let's go, partner!"

We set out for the dungeon, which was even farther away than Mt. Steel; despite that, we still managed to get there before the sun went down. I am proud to say that we both ran all the way there, and I didn't stumble once! _Could I finally be getting used to this body?_ I wondered.

As the name suggested, Sinister Woods looked like a normal forest from the outside. Once we crossed the threshold, the distortions took hold and closed our entrance behind us. Immediately, I was assaulted be the scents of the feral Pokémon, which was mostly grass types at first. There were a couple of outliers, like an earthy-and-icy Swinub, the stony Sudowoodo, and a muddy Wooper. I concentrated and tuned out the other scents, focusing on the strong honey smell of Metapod. Once I found it, we set out.

We cleared the fist three floors without incident. However, I ran into a problem on the 4'th floor: other bug scents! Up until now, I've had little issue tracking down targets in the dungeons, because their particular scent was always different than those of the local Pokémon. Now, I have to find ONE scent amid many similar ones, and needless to say, I struggled a lot! More than once, we ran into a Silcoon or Cascoon that I thought was Metapod, and it took us almost twice as long to clear that floor than the previous three!

By the time we reached the stairs, I was thoroughly frustrated, so Sparky pulled be aside. "Take a deep breath, and tell me what's wrong."

"I'm…I'm sorry," I admit reluctantly. "Maybe my nose isn't as good as I thought. I keep getting mixed up, and I bet Team Meanies are getting farther ahead., and…"

"Lauren, stop worrying. I'm confident your nose can get us there in time, despite this. Have faith in your abilities." He smiles, and suddenly, I feel better.

"Thanks, Sparky," I reply, blushing slightly under my fur. We descend the stairs, and I take a deep breath. Immediately, I notice a subtle difference. I can't put my paw on why, but any confusion I had before was gone. Stepping confidently, we make our way through the floor, and though we still bump into a Silcoon or Cascoon, we reach the stairs with ease.

"See, I told you!" Sparky cheered, clapping his paws together. "Now, onward!"

As we passed the 6th floor, the tracking got easier. Sure, there were still bug types like Ledyba and Scyther, but their scents were noticeably different from Metapod's and thus easier to ignore. We blazed through the remaining seven floors, only fighting occasionally, and soon near the end. Like Caterpie before, I figured Metapod would be at the deepest part, and his scent trail confirmed this.

However, as we reached the final room, who should come charging in behind us but Team Meanies. They look slightly more beaten up than us, so either they healed themselves beforehand or tried to avoid conflict inn anticipation for this fight.

"Hold it right there!" Gengar declared, as his team jumped in front of us. "We're clearing this mission whether you want us to or not! Our pride as a team demands it!"

"You don't even know who you're trying to rescue!" I remarked incredulously. "You're just in it for the reward, aren't you?"

"Doesss it matter?" Ekans scoffed. "Asss long asss we're the bessst, who caresss?"

"Yeah!" Medicham remarked. "We're bent on world domination; all that matters is wealth and status!"

"Enough!" Sparky shouted. "Rescue teams are meant to help others, not extort them for wealth. You're just a bunch of bullies pretending to be a rescue team!"

"Tch, whatever," Gengar blew him off. "Why don't you just stay out of our way? Or do we have to make you?"

I wanted to lunge at him again, but I held myself back. I figured he would send his cronies to fight first, so I held my ground and closed my eyes, trusting myself to my other senses. As seen in practice, my nose alone created a mental 'picture' of the area around me. I could smell and hear Sparky's electricity as he charged Medicham, as we discussed, so I turned my attention to Ekans.

Kicking up a quick **sand attack** in his face, I dodge out of reach of his **wrap** and followed up with a **tackle**. He tried to launch a needle that smelled sharply of poison ( **poison sting** ), but thanks to the sand in his eyes, it flew wide. I dove underground, using **dig** and tunneling underneath him, only to launch him into the air. He flew into Medicham, already weakened by Sparky's **thunderbolt** , and they both collapsed, defeated.

With those two taken care of, we both turned on Gengar; however, he immediately threw something at Sparky before charging at me. It exploded in my partner's face, causing him to cry out in pain and surprise. "I…I can't see!" he cried out. Unfortunately, he didn't have any training in fighting blind like I did, so he just fired **thunderbolt** s randomly. I dove back underground to dodge, unable to assist Sparky with **helping hand** like I wanted; as it was, he may do more harm than good with it anyway. **Dig** ging underground, I locked onto Gengar's scent, once again catching that odd piece amid the usual ones. Suddenly, it dawned on me: I _had_ smelled it before…within my own scent!

I struck Gengar hard with my **dig** attack, but my mind was elsewhere. _How does he have a scent like mine? Could…could he have been human as well?_ Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to ask him; my attack happened to launch him into a stray **thunderbolt** , and he hit the dirt unconscious.

Opening my eyes, I jumped to dodge another bolt and shouted, "Sparky, STOP! He's down!" Thankfully, he heard me and stopped attacking, rubbing his eyes.

"Stupid x-eye seed…" he mumbled. "Sorry for freaking out there; I hate being blinded. Did you knock him out?"

"We kinda both did. My attack knocked him into one of yours. Either way, we should find Metapod before they wake up."

"D-did someone call for me?" a timid voice spoke up. From behind one of the trees near us, a pale-green cocoon bounced out of hiding. "I…I heard fighting…so I hid…and **hardened** …"

"You're Caterpie's friend, right?" Sparky remarked calmly, now that his eyes are clear. "We're here to rescue you."

As he reaches for his badge to teleport us out, I glance at Team Meanies, still unconscious. They hadn't disappeared yet, so I assumed they aren't in any danger from the dungeon's distortion. Against my better judgement, I nosed into the satchel on my back and pulled out a pair of Oran berries in my mouth, setting them next to Gengar. Then, I rejoin Sparky and we all leave the dungeon.

 **And there you have it! I hope i got some of the terminology right; if not, feel free to let me know. I wonder why Gengar has a human scent, hmm? Anyway, I promise I'll be uploadig more often now, and will have the next chapter up soon. Stay tuned in, everyone, and may your Ember never fade!**


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